Why it works: Structure. A dry, crisp beer with balanced hops can overcome strong flavors, like seasonings on pizza, or the oiliness of fish. Plus, the hops can scrub your taste-buds between bites, enhancing the flavor of both beer and food.

Health bonus: When steaks were soaked in pilsner for 6 hours before panfrying, a suspected carcinogen in the meat was reduced by as much as 88 percent, according to a Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry study.

Health bonus: The hops in a beer like an amber ale may help lower cholesterol and prevent blood clotting, according to a 2007 study published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition.

Turgeman's pick: Fischer Amber

Also try: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale

Beef, Sausage, Pork

Drink this: Farmhouse ale

Why it works: Region. European beers taste great with meat cooked in European styles. Carry the lesson to other cuisines, to complement undertones in each: Asian beer with sushi, a Mexican cerveza with tacos, and so on.

Health bonus: The barley used in ale's brewing process contains flavonoids—a group of compounds, also found in wine, that may interfere with the multiplication of cancer cells.

Turgeman's pick: Saison Dupont

Also try: La Choulette Blonde, Castelain Blond

Green Salad, Egg

Drink this: Belgian white

Why it works: Weight/body. Citruspacked, lighter wheat beers make food taste fresher and cut through the richness of yolks or hollandaise sauce.

Health bonus: Wheat beers may help lower your risk of cardiovascular diseases, say Austrian researchers. A test-tube study found that compounds in beer helped prevent tryptophan degradation and neopterin production, two factors that are linked with coronary-artery disease.

Turgeman's pick: Gruut Belgian Wit Beer

Also try: Hoegaarden, Blue Moon

Cheese, Salmon

Drink this: Trappist, Abbey

Why it works: Body/strength. The mild sweetness and yeastiness of Trappist beers play off the charred flavors of smoked or grilled food or pungent cheese.

Health bonus: Brewer's yeast contains B vitamins, protein, and minerals, but it rests on the bottom in Trappist beer bottles. So pour most of your beer into a glass, then swirl the last bit to pick up the yeast.

Turgeman's pick: Chimay Red

Also try: Leffe Blonde, Goose Island Matilda

Chocolate, Fruit

Drink this: Stout, Porter, flavored lambics

Why it works: There are no rules. "Experiment with sweet beers," Turgeman says. "You can make great combinations." To cap off a dinner date, pair chocolate with cherry lambic.

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